The present invention is related to digital video, and more particularly to a system and method for transcoding an entropy-coded bitstream.
A video sequence includes a series of images represented by frames. The frames comprise two-dimensional grids of pixels. An exemplary video sequence, such as a video sequence in accordance with the ITU-656 standard, includes 30 720×480 pixel frames per second. The foregoing results in a bit rate of approximately 165 Mbps for a video sequence.
Multiple video sequences are transmitted together on a communication medium such as a coaxial cable, for example, using a multiple access scheme. The multiple access scheme can include, for example, frequency division multiple access (FDMA), or time division multiple access (TDMA). In a multiple access scheme, each video sequence is associated with a particular channel. As the number of video sequences which are transmitted increases, the bandwidth requirements for the communication medium are further increased.
Accordingly, a number of data compression standards have been promulgated to alleviate bandwidth requirements. One such standard known as Advanced Video Coding (AVC) was developed by the Joint Video Team (JVT) project of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Telecommunication Union.
The AVC standard uses a number of techniques to compress video streams, such as motion-based compensation to reduce temporal redundancy. The AVC standard encodes each frame using three main picture types—intra-coded pictures (I-pictures), inter-coded pictures (P-pictures), and Bi-predictive (B-pictures). I-pictures are coded without reference to other pictures and can provide access points to the coded sequence where decoding can begin, but are coded with only moderate compression. P-pictures are coded more efficiently using motion compensation prediction of each block of sample values from some previously decoded picture selected by the encoder. B-pictures provide the highest degree of compression but require a higher degree of memory access capability in the decoding process, as each block of sample values in a B-picture may be predicted using a weighted average of two blocks of motion-compensated sample values.
Motion-based compensation results in varying degrees of compression for the pictures forming the video sequence. Conversely, the pictures are encoded by varying amounts of data. For example, I-pictures tend to require the largest amount of bits for encoding, while B-pictures require the least amount of bits for encoding.
Additionally, the AVC proposed standard includes specifications for encoding various syntax elements using either variable length codes or arithmetic coding. Variable length coding and arithmetic coding are referred to as entropy coding. Entropy coding takes advantage of the probabilities of the various values that the data can take. In general, the most common values are encoded using the least number of bits, while the rarest values are encoded using the highest number of bits. The foregoing causes substantial variance in the number of bits which are used to encode each picture.
At the decoder, uniform length frames, e.g., 720×480 pixels, are displayed at a constant rate. In order to display the video sequence in real-time, each picture must be decoded in uniform lengths of time, to at least some degree. Therefore, pictures with a large number of bits require a much higher decoding rate than the average decoding rate which can be inferred from the transmission bit rate and the display bit rate. In some cases, the peak decoding rate required for displaying video sequences in real time can be as high as 750-1000 Mbps even if the transmitted video data rate is much lower, such as 1 to 10 Mbps.
Additionally, some of the entropy coding specifications can be complex to decode. This inherent complexity, combined with the high peak decoding rates result in very high processing demands.
Accordingly, it would be beneficial if the peak decoding rate requirements for decoding entropy coded information could be alleviated by a scheme wherein the entropy coded information is decoded at a lower, relatively constant rate.
Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such systems with embodiments of the present invention as set forth in the remainder of the present application.